Imaginary
by Wingedsquirel
Summary: Spoilers for TWEWY first week and the end of 358/2 days. Left without a real existance Xion has become a noise. Unusual circumstances have forced her to fight along a familiar girl named Eri Tanaka.
1. Chapter 1: Noise

Imaginary

A kid with blond spiky hair stepped into the vortex; this is what Nobodies wanted right? A chance to be whole again? But of the two pieces that fit together like a lucky charm, a third piece would never belong.

Xion a duplicate, a sham, a copy. She (if she was even female) didn't fit in. The memories she was made of belonged to Sora, but what about her memories. Her personality? Her existence? She was No i. Imaginary, and she was suspect to the fate that all imaginaries succumbed to.

She stood formless in a white void, only the occasional static to indicate change. But in this desperation there was something that allowed her to keep trying to find something real.

Out of the whiteness there was a sudden patch of gray. Xion rushed over to see if it was a way out. An elevator? Where did it lead? Anything was better than nothing.

The second the doors of the elevator closed she began to change. Solidifying into a form that was limp but solid. There was no mirror and Xion had no clue what was going on. Roxas was a somebody again so where that that leave her?

The door opened and she stumbled into the Spartan lobby of a near abandoned building. A red-cloaked winged man glanced at her. "A noise clever enough to use that elevator. Not something you see every day." A noise, what did that mean? Why did he have wings?

"Forget the cat. I'm right outside of our destination. Why won't you reapers just let me in?" The girl was red-haired, brown eyed and wearing a perfectly matched outfit. Xion had an uncanny feeling she had seen her before.

"No partner, no pass. I'm sorry but if you can't find someone to buddy up with you have a 0% chance of survival. Heck, you've been lucky that that pussy is the only noise that's showed up here today." The reaper responded.

"I've can't afford the time of looking around all of Shibuya. I have 3 minutes left, hoodie."

She really wanted to help her for some reason; at the very best she could explain what was going on. She wished hard that she could do something. A brief flash of light appeared engulfingXion and the girl.

"Oh look my reaper senses are tingling. Pact confirmed." Said the reaper.

"By who? I don't see anyone."

"Beats me, but can you spare the time to figure it out? T-minus 1 minute, babe?"

She dashed panicking past the reaper. Xion followed hoping for anyone who could explain what happened.

"Whew, timer's gone." She looked around and spotted Xion. "A cat noise. Pttf the reapers can't come up with something better than a walking plushie?"

A stuffed animal? What? Xion was hardly a stranger to transformations, but was she really a plushie of all things?

A reaper with a lollipop glanced at the girl, "Looks like the supports are slacking off. A player without a partner? Piece of cake."

Next to him stood a blond-haired woman "Who are you to talk about laziness? You've erased one player a week since you've started five years ago. Anyway kind of a shame. Two of a kind would double our points."

"I want to finish this as soon as possible. Let's go for a grunge wolf."

"If you insist loli." The female reaper replied.

In an instant Xion was thrown into a warped scene. It looked like the world that never was mixed with…um Twilight town . It looked like someone had taken a street, stripped it of all color and warped some the buildings for kicks.

"Not another fight, dang it. I can't even get away this time. "The girl's voice came from no source, almost as if it was in Xion's head. Before she could understand the nature of this phenomenon she got bit by a wolf that looked like some kid had done its fur up with spray paint."  
She thought she was doomed. No way could she summon her keyblade. She was still trying to comprehend why she wasn't completely non-existent. Forget it Xion, you're a clone made out of memories, turned into a cat, and fighting a graffiti wolf. Just god-damn run.

She tried escaping but the wolf blocked her at every turn. She tried, desperately to hide behind a minivan, it was parked unfazed through all this madness. She should have known that wouldn't work, wolves weren't idiots. The wolf approached her. She desperately needed a weapon, her Keyblade was gone.

Suddenly a ring of thirteen keys appeared in her hands (paws?) . Instinctively she grabbed the red one scratching the wolf. The beast yelped and Xion noticed that wear the key had hit was now burning crimson. The flames began to spread every second the wolf was getting weaker. It vanished in a flash of white static.

"What? The noise? Partner? Keys? Wolves? What the hell!?" the red haired girl asked.

The orange haired reaper licked his sucker and said "Konishi, you report this to the officers. Tell them that something's up with Eri Tanaka."


	2. Chapter 2: CAT

2. CAT

"So first you try to erase me then you want to buy me some coffee?" Eri asked.

"The coffee doesn't matter. It's the proprietor of the coffee shop who matters. It has nothing to do with you. That cat noise is an anomaly. We can't risk upsetting our commanding officers by removing a variable from the equation." The reaper Konishi said.

"Shut up with this math talk. It reminds me of Minamimoto." The orange haired reaper complained. " In simpler terms we can't risk erasing either of you until we understand what this cat is doing here. I've been dead 30 years now and I haven't seen a cat noise since the 90's."

_Dead?_ She supposed it made sense they were called reapers._ But what did that mean for us_. _Are we dead? But regardless death seems to be better than non-existence_

"Here champ." The blond haired reaper picked up Xion. "This will be a long walk. Unfortunately neither of us has the vibe to bypass the Composer's wall. However the Producer might be able to clarify things."

"Composer? Producer?" Eri was taking the words right out of Xion's stitched mouth. "Who are they and what do they have to do with this?"

"They run the game. They have to sort out this crap; we're just a bunch of henchmen if you will." The red-haired one said. "Not that I'd want to deal with all the paper-work."

"So, I have to walk all the way across the city. In these shoes?" Eri asked. Xion should have figured she liked fashion. She had no clue about fashion really, because all her life she'd worn a simple black robe. Still I guess if your life wasn't about collecting hearts you could afford to wear less practical-clothes.

"Well excuse me princess. We could of course leave you here. Making you a perfect target for noise that don't look like Beanie Babies."

Eri tried to protest for a second but she conceived. "Alright."

Konishi smiled. She partially released Xion using her free hand to search her pockets. "Here take these. Your twenty seconds away from the post mission knockout." She gave Eri a small tablet which she ate.

They began their stroll through the city-streets. Xion had been wrong. This was ten-times more interesting than Twilight Town. Every street was packed with people, wearing odd clothes, talking about things Xion didn't understand. All her existence had been hiding from others. She wanted to forget the Organization's rules and join the people. But she couldn't. No one saw them; the people passed them by, not even feeling their presence. Xion was crushed. She still didn't exist.

Konishi noticed her unique expression. "Curiouser and curiouser. A noise that can really feel. You really are an anomaly." They passed by a store that sold shiny discs. Lively music burst through the doors. On top of the building was graffiti that portrayed a large black cat surrounded by abstract colors.

"Hanekoma's been active recently. Always making work for himself I see. Seems like a lot of work for a job that doesn't pay."

"Kariya, some people actually feel accomplished when they actually work. "

"Yes, killing people who are already dead is a _real_ accomplishment."

"And if everyone who died came back to life?" Konishi replied. "People are made of Soul and only extremely creative people can create more. Thus the game seeks to weed out those who possess more soul than their worth."

"Well I am not worthless." Eri said angrily.

_But maybe I am._ She remembered Axel mentioned Soul at one point. "Soul is thoughts, even us. Nobodies have to have souls or we couldn't think, couldn't plan; we'd be no different from the Heartless." Where'd her soul come from? She could still think. Did she still have some of Sora's Soul?

"Let's move on." Kariya said.

After several blocks of walking they finally reached a near abandoned coffee shop.

"Konishi, want a cup of Joe after today's reaping. I know Kariya isn't one for coffee."

"CAT I'd like you to examine this… cat." Konishi said somewhat timidly.

Xion winced as he picked her up. He then dropped her instantly on Kariya's foot.

"Ouch" He said with an air of sarcasm.

"Never felt a noise like this" Hanekoma said.

"Sure you have. Cat noise were all the rage during the nineties." Kariya said.

"It's not the form. The vibe's far too complex to be a noise." Hanekoma said.

"Complex?" Eri asked.

"Noise are entities made of single thoughts or single feelings. Groups of emotions that couldn't possibly have such a complex vibe. It's not a player either, though. She…"

She?

"What do you means 'she'? It's a god-damned noise." Konishi asked.

_Someone who could see me as a person. Maybe._

"I've been looking into noise for all my life, but I've never seen a case like this. Her origin code indicates she's trans-dimensional." He picked her up again. "Listen kitty. Cat noise are shape-shifters. I want you to picture a person. If you can do it, I'd like to have a word you."

She pictured herself as the way Roxas and Axel saw her. For, one second static, for another, second she was herself again.

Eri was shocked, Kariya dropped his lollipop and even Konishi showed a lapse in her cool.

"I… don't know what's happening. Do you?" Xion asked hopefully.

"I've seen plenty of fox noise take human form. But they don't know how to talk. We've certainly got an odd noise here. What's your name?"

"No. i. Xion."

Maybe he looked like he learned something. "Konishi, I want you to tell Chusin we have another player. I want to see how this turns out."

Note: Because TWEWY is a Japanese game I'm including some references to Japanese culture as well as some His Dark Materials references. In my mind, Soul works similar to Dust from His Dark Materials. Cat noise can shape-shift because they are based on bakeneko like fox noise are based on kitsune.


	3. Chapter 3: Player

This is a short chapter. I don't want to cover several days on the same chapter and I think that it's probably best if we move on to the second mission. If you're already a TWEWY fan you can pretty much skip to Xion's entry fee, the rest is just a brief explanation of the game,

Chapter 3: Player

"So, the Producer agrees to this? Well I can't argue with him. But this breaks every precedent."

A man thin and tall with sun-glasses watched her. She looked closely and he was wearing a black pin with a skull on it He was standing on an aquarium, in fact the floor was an aquarium. Xion never left the coffee shop. How did she get here? Who was this man?

"My name is Megumi Kitaniji conductor of the Shibuya game. Any player is instantly teleported to this room if they want to play. Noise are normally only weapons or obstacles, but Hanekoma apparently finds it prudent to let one in."

It was like he could read her mind. Before he could respond to her thoughts she asked. "What do you mean by Shibuya? And can anyone explain what exactly a Noise is? "

"Shibuya is a district of Tokyo, central to Japan's fashion industry. Though this is probably meaningless to you. Hanekoma said you're extra –dimensional. Just another oddity in this convoluted case. As for Noise, they are the negative thoughts and feelings left behind by souls. However each noise only contains a single thought or feeling, leaving them less intelligent than animals. This whole process is baffling to say the least. Hanekoma believes the best way to study this is to allow you to play the game."

"So, you're just treating me like a guinea pig." It still isn't any different.

"Xion, we're not treating you any different from any other player. The game is simple, if you do well enough this week we'll bring you back to life."

"You sure about that? You said yourself you've never had a case like this before. How do you know if you can really do it?"

"I honestly can't say I can. However you're not the only one at stake here. If you quit your partner Eri will most likely be erased. The two of you are inseparable until the end of this week. "

"Why?"

"Players psychic abilities are utilized by the energy flow between two players' minds requiring their consciousnesses to be linked. Destroying one will set off a chain reaction, destroying the other's soul. In layman's terms a player can't defend his o herself without making a pact and a player is vulnerable after making it. So quit if you want but it's not just about you."

She thought about Eri. She didn't really know much about her. The girl was so familiar but she couldn't grasp it. Every time Xion saw her she felt like she was something Xion wasn't. Something she couldn't reach. She was willing to give up on herself, but she couldn't just doom her.

"Well, I don't want to be responsible for her... erasure. I guess I'll play."

"That just leaves your entry fee. Every player has to give up what they love most to play."

"Good luck trying to find anything in there that is happy." She lied. The only thing she cared about, could he really take it away from her?

Kitaniji looked at her for a second and said sincerely. "My deepest condolences Xion, but I know there's only one thing you care about that I have the power to take away. "

Xion felt confused and miserable. There were a bunch of empty spaces in her memory like patches removed from a magazine. Her sitting alone at a clock tower. Being rescued by an unknown force from a Heartless. A promise to go with the beach with… someone. These people were gone to her, and everything just felt worthless without them.

"You'll have to survive seven days if you want these back. I can understand now why you are a noise. I sincerely hope you can have the chance to get these back." He handed her a player pin and suddenly she fell asleep, feeling more alone than she had ever felt.


	4. Chapter 4: Counterparts

Counterparts

Xion woke up in scramble crossing Eri at her side.

"Could someone please explain what's going on?" Eri asked.

"I don't think I can. I don't think anyone can." Xion responded.

"What do you mean? Can't you tell me who you are?" Eri

"I don't know. They took some of my memories as my entry fee. Gaps are missing. And what's left of my memory I can barely understand."

Organization Eleven. They had made her to be her puppet. Now that she was free she had no clue what to do. Everything was about missions killing Heartless. And then they sent someone, maybe an assassin of some form, to destroy her. And then she somehow became a Noise and ended up here. It didn't make any sense to her, and Xion doubted that it would make sense to Eri.

"You're a Noise right? Then why'd you save me? Unpartnered players equal free soul right?"

"I have no clue what a Noise actually is but I don't want to hurt you. "

"Well, thanks I guess. Noise are bits of negatively charged soul that erase Players to feed on their positive emotions. I think that's what Game Master Chusin said. As far as I know they can't think and they certainly don't show mercy."

" They're Heartless!"

" Well, you're one of them right?"

"No, Heartless are monsters that destroy the light in people's hearts"

"What, like in Kingdom Heats?"

"Kingdom hearts!" Xion asked startled, "What do you know about Kingdom Hearts?"

"It's an RPG from Sqaure. Crossover between Disney and Final Fantasy. Not really a gamer, but I hang with enough of them to know that the Heartless are the monsters in the game."

"Game!? It's not a game."

"I think your taking it a bit too seriously."

"Eri, I was trying to make Kingdom Hearts with the members of Organization Eleven. It isn't a game. They could seriously mess up the universe with it."

Eri laughed at this revelation. "This explains almost everything. Your entry fee was clearly your grip on reality."

"What? I'm not insane." Xion said indignantly.

"Don't deny it. You obviously are just a Kingdom hearts fan girl. Cosplaying as one of those people in black robes, without an once of sanity you think you're one of them. The Organization right?"

"Organization Eleven!"

"Something about that seems off on that but you're the fan girl. The Noise thing is really weird though. The Game Master say anything about it?"

"No, not even the Producer has any clue what's going on. I think they're just going to sit and watch. .."

Xion and Eri's cell phone rang, simultaneously.

"No more time for Q&A fangirl. We have a mission to do ."

Free the Sky's counterpart. Fail and face erasure. You have 120 minutes.

"The counterpart of the sky huh? Why don't they just do straightforward missions. This is such a pain." Eri asked.

"Quit your whining. Do you expect this to be a mission for three year olds?"

On the other end of the crossing was a pink haired Player. Next to her stood what Xion could only describe as Riku with a really poor dye-job.

"Well you know cold it really kill them to come up with something better than a lame riddle?" Eri asked.

"Eri I don't think you quite get this…" Xion started to say.

"The GM wants optimal player erasure rate. It's not like it's gonna be easy. But let me introduce myself." The Riku look alike threw what seemed to be a CD at them. "I'm Hikaru Kika**seidou. And I am not RIku.**

** "Who are you kidding Riku?" Xion asked. "That dye job doesn't fool anyone."**

** "Seriously, I was born looking like a Square character. So what? I am not Riku. I am not a cos-player. I just would like this conversation to continue without any one bringing up Kairi, Sora or Riku." Hikaru asked.**

** It's not like you're alone here. Look at them. Two well… very confused cos-players. First we have the Shiki cos-player from Kingdome Hearts II decked out in full D+B. Next we have a fangirl who can't seem to decide whether she's cos-playing as Kairi or an Organization XII member. I'm Uzuki Yashiro. Rabid KH fan, so I know what I'm talking about."**

** The pink haired player was wearing a skimpy outfit. What gave her the right to make fun of her clothes?**

** "If you were really such a big fan girl than why did you get the number of members wrong?" Xion blurted out in frustration.**

** "What are you talking about? Did you just skip out on KHII or something? I can name all thirteen of them in one…."**

** "Uzuki we don't have time for this. We need every second we've got before this timer runs out. Anyone have a clue on what the counterpart of the sky is?" Hikaru asked.**

** Xion sighed. This wasn't Riku. And if it was Riku she'd still be a complete stranger to him. She'd heard about stiff like this back in the Organization. Saix had said once. "Call for back up if you meet a counterpart. In the patchwork of many worlds there are identical patches. But the rips and tears of life create different people out of the same cloth. If you see anyone like you we'll send someone else. Don't want to mess with the Prime Directive do we?" Wait a second. Maybe there wasn't just one counterpart. If Riku had one then…**

** "Sora's counterpart!" **

** "You figured it out?" Eri asked.**

** "Yeah. It's not like that." She pointed up to the sky. "It's like ..." Xion thought about it for a second. Her partner didn't believe her about being an Organization member. Let alone a "female clone of Sora made out of memories." No way she could mention it. "the guy with the Keyblade."**

** "Yeah, in this town maybe there's a guy who looks like him. I mean there have been several nods to Shibuyan fashion in Kingdom Hearts." Uzuki said.**

** "I don't know why I didn't think of this before." Hikaru said. "We've got to find Neku Uzuki. Let's go!"**

** Hikaru literally dragged his partner away by the arm. He was out of sight before Eri yelled. "Ok, that was just rude. Is everyone in this game either a pig or a nutjob."**

** "I'm not a pig Eri." Xion said.**

** "You're the nutjob, Xion. I'm sorry but you really are. The only real way I can fix this and get your real story is to win so it's probably best if we just focus on winning." Eri said. She glanced in the direction that Hikaru and Uzuki left. "Oh, crap."**

** A red hooded figure with wings appeared. Eri ran toward him as fast as she could. She had finally hit full speed when she crashed into a wall that wasn't there.**

** "Too late Hatri, I saw what you were trying to do there and I totally owned you lamers."**

** Xion followed her partner. "Are you OK?"**

** "The terrible use of memes is the most painful part here." Eri responded. "I thought you were just a busybody that didn't want me to get erased."**

** "Nope. I make walls and set the conditions for you to get past For example, want past this wall? Fight a bear noise in the area."**

** "Can do." Eri said pressing her Player Pin to her chest. In a split second Xion was up against a bear. In the middle of the crossing and Eri was nowhere to be seen.**

** Eri sent her a message telepathically. **_**We can't see eachother because I'm on another plane right now. It's complicated Xion OK? Short version; fighting's about friendship; something you as a KH fan should understand. I attack by whacking stuff with my purse. You have your keys. Match the color of the aura around the noise for more damage. You understand.**_

_**Got it memorized. **_**But where did that come from? The bear bore a similar kind of graffiti-esque look as the wolves yesterday. She supposed the urban art motif was the Noise equivalent of the emblem heartless sigil. She pondered this for a second before the beak slashed her.**

__**She turned staticy for a second as a brief rush of pain filled her. She wasn't going to t take that lying down. She summoned the keys. But something went wrong the second she grabbed them. The bear became taller. No.. she was the one shrinking. Using the keys had reverted her to plushie form.**

_**Heads up Xion.**_

__**There was a flash of green energy and she regained human form. So that energy allowed her to use the keys and her shapeshifting simultanouesly. She took adavantage of this power boost using the yellow key to send an electric charge to the ears. But the moment it hit the puck moved toward Eri leaving her as a cat again. **_**Your turn Eri.**_

** Eri tried to duck the bear's claws but she hit it a second too late. Xion felt the pain too. She scratched the ear with her ice blue key and the bear disappeared into static. **_**Don't you forget it! **_**She reverted to human form the second the match ended.**

__**"Objective met. Wall clear." The Reaper said. **

** "We'll discuss the cat thing later Xion. Right now we have a timed mission on our hands."**


End file.
